A proposed Riverhead zoning amendment that would increase allowable impervious surface coverage in several commercial districts drew sharp criticism Tuesday after the town’s senior planner acknowledged the measure conflicts with recommendations in the town’s newly adopted comprehensive plan.
The proposal — advanced at the request of the Town Board’s Business Advisory Committee — would increase maximum impervious surface coverage from 80% to 90% in the DC-3 and PB districts, from 60% to 75% in the CRC district and from 40% to 50% in the PRC district.
Impervious surfaces such as pavement, rooftops and parking lots prevent rainwater from soaking into the ground, increasing runoff into local waterways while reducing groundwater recharge. The issue has become increasingly important on Long Island amid concerns about flooding, stormwater pollution and aquifer protection.
The town’s 2024 comprehensive plan calls for limiting and reducing impervious surfaces to decrease stormwater runoff and environmental impacts.
The Town Board revised zoning regulations last year to “close a loophole” in the code that developers and applicants were taking advantage of “to over-intensify the development on properties,” according to Senior Planner Greg Bergman.
Pervious pavers had been allowed as an alternative to required drainage structures, Bergman explained to the Town Board at its April 9 work session. But they were being used instead to increase development density.
“Instead of saying, ‘I’m going to use this [pervious pavers] as an alternative to drainage,’ applications were coming in where the entire supply of parking was being provided by pervious pavers, which would allow a much larger structure than would otherwise be permitted,” Bergman told the board April 9.
The town closed that loophole with last year’s code amendment, effectively stopping applicants from counting certain pervious-paver parking areas as permeable surfaces for zoning purposes.
The Business Advisory Committee pushed back against the change and, after it was adopted, began pressing for an amendment to increase impervious lot coverage maximums. Committee members and then-chairperson Martin Sendlewski, a Riverhead architect who represents developers before the Town Board, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals, met with the Town Board to advocate changes several times over the past year.
On April 9, a board majority instructed Bergman to prepare the requested revisions for a public hearing, which was then scheduled for the May 5 meeting.
Source: RiverheadLOCAL
